


Red Letter Days

by Peter_Egham



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Letters, Politics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 05:03:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11593503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peter_Egham/pseuds/Peter_Egham
Summary: A series of correspondences between Albus Dumbledore - successful alumnus of, and future Professor of Transfiguration at, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - and Gellert Grindelwald - notable alumnus of the Durmstrang Institute of Magical Education, and leader of the Free Wizards' Committee for the Greater Good.Once childhood friends, these letters catalogue what came after the premature end to their young partnership - and the consequences wrought by unchecked ambition and sentimental inaction.The story of these letters has its origins in the West Country of England, travels the globe several times over, and ends at the Siegestor of Munich; though our beginning and end are less than a thousand miles apart, they serve as the waypoints of an insurmountable divide.





	Red Letter Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mr A.W.P.B. Dumbledore  
> 7 Hardwin Row  
> Godric's Hollow  
> WEST COUNTRY  
> 

Dear Albus,

I hope you are well. The start of this letter has proven to be one of the more difficult decisions of recent weeks; I hope, however, that the impression I left of myself has not faded in the long year I have spent travelling abroad. I would like to first extend to you my deepest and most profound condolences for the loss of your sister – Ariana was loved by you and your brother dearly, and before my departure I saw her loss had already profoundly affected you. As to the nature of my departure, I would like to make that my second apology – to leave you, my first and most dear friend, in such a position is perhaps my greatest regret to date. It is partly for that reason I extend to you these three things: a token, a gift, and a request.

The request is that of a return to our days of correspondence and mutual consultation; now, more than ever, I am in need of a mind like yours. As you may have heard, though I need not remind you to remain sceptical of all you hear, my cause has already taken root in the hearts and minds of many across Europe – and, I recently learned, beyond. This was made known to me during my most recent sojourn – a consultation with the alchemists of Alexandria. However, no sooner had I acclimatised myself to the Egyptian heat before I was greeted by the brothers Ehab and Sayed Daoud; the latter of whom hopes you remember him from your time in Cairo during the 639th International Alchemical Conference. With their endorsement, I was granted an audience with my now-tutor, Moustafa el Shafei, whose reputation no doubt precedes him.

And now we come to the gift – that gift being the creature no doubt preening before you. Once the prized companion my mentor, the mu’allim proved enamoured enough with either my wit or my skill – the latter of which I feel I still lack – to entrust me with such a rare honour. He noted how since leaving Dumstrang and attending these studies with such diligence, I had exchanged my scarlet plumage for gold – and that a phoenix would best demonstrate that transition. This is my gift. Upon seeing its dance of gold and red, I felt reminded so much more of your espousing of Gryffindor than of my dalliance with Durmstrang. If it had a name, I have not been told it - as such, feel free to christen him whatever name you see fit. Now, I need not explain a phoenix’s most incredible quality, but I hope that this letter might serve as a similar rebirth of our friendship – or, at least, of our correspondences.

Or, like the phoenix, you may just as possibly burn it. But to stay your hand, or perhaps to seal the compact I have now formed with you, I would present you with a token: a quill, as unique and valuable as I believe you yourself to be. This quill, hopefully found within the same envelope as this letter, is taken from the same phoenix you now own – it is unique, bar its one twin: the plume adoring the quill I use now to write this letter. I know of no innate magic associated with the plumage of phoenixes, but I feel the connection it forms between us needs no accoutrements.

I heard it said by Gregorovitch that no two phoenix feathers are alike, and for my purposes I hope that is true. If you accept my offer for renewed correspondency and correspondence, I wish for you to know that your words are written and presented to me in a manner more personal and unique than any signature. But I would not presume to guide your actions – once again, I extend my apologies and my offer of reparation.  
  
I cannot stress my sincerity, Albus, and I hope you consider this letter carefully.

Sincerely yours,

Gellert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Hardwin Row" - While it's not made clear - like much of his early life - where Dumbledore stayed after the Ariana incident but before Hogwarts, I've chosen to have him remain in the Dumbledore household - now empty, after Aberforth moved to Hogsmeade at the other end of the country. The name of this street specifically is taken from J.K. Rowling's own inspiration for Harry Potter's name - specifically, Potterow near the Elephant Café. The "Hardwin" or the name comes from Hardwin Potter, who married Iolanthe Peverell after moving to Godric's Hollow - where the Potter's would remain for at least seven centuries. Already quite wealthy, it is possible contributed to Godric's Hollow by building this row, or perhaps it was named in his honour after other philanthropic acts. Also, with regards to the address, my initial intention was to have the postcode be 'PL36 3GH' - which, obviously, does not exist. However, at the time, none of them existed - postcodes only coming into practice at the end of the 1950s. Oh well.
> 
> "Alchemists of Alexandria" - As part of a larger theme, I've allocated various magical fields to various areas of the world; this is continuing a trend J.K. herself started, with Wandless Magic being an American tradition and Wandlore being a European invention. To Northern Africa - and areas of the Middle East, due to 8th-13th century Islamic Golden Age - I have given Alchemy, with the Middle East having a similar-but-distinct penchant for Potioneering.
> 
> "Ehab and Sayed Daoud" - These two figures, who I may bring back in later stories, are a reference to the fact that Albus received a gold medal for "Ground-Breaking Contribution to the International Alchemical Conference in Cairo".
> 
> "639th International Alchemical Conference" - I needed a way to refer to the aforementioned alchemical conference, and so I took the date after the destruction of the Baghdad House of Wisdom - 1258 - and decided when Albus would be attending. His fifth year, not yet of age but still moderately responsible, would be 1897. If the first conference was an attempt to salvage the alchemical secrets lost in the House of Wisdom, then Albus would be present for the 639th annual conference.
> 
> "Moustafa el Shafei" - Unlike Eheb and Sayed - whose names I took from dice results and an Egyptian census - Moustafa el Shafei is a combination of Egyptian musicians. I cannot honestly say why I went this route, other than to distance myself from selecting classic Philosophers or 'real' Alchemists. Also, perhaps he has a sing-song manner of speech, and is himself quite creative. That would be nice.
> 
> "Fawkes" - This is perhaps my largest invention thus far, though I hope to make many more later. Fawkes - even more so than his owner - is of unclear origin. It's clear the only thing keeping him at Hogwarts was Dumbledore, as shown by 'The Half-Blood Prince', but how Dumbledore acquired such a bird - native to the other side of the world - is a mystery I exploited. Phoenix feathers, specifically those of Fawkes, play an important role in the Potter-era of the series - and hopefully that will prove an enjoyable story to follow.
> 
> "Gregorovich" - I imagine Grindelwald is playing up his relationship with the wandmaker, since if they had ever met after the theft of the Elder Wand, the nature of phoenix feathers would not be the topic of discussion. It's more likely Grindelwald read one of Gregorovich's many books on the subject - he, unlike Ollivander, feeling that his profits need not end with simply selling wands.


End file.
